US student sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea

North Korea sentenced an American student to 15 years of hard labor for crimes against the state, CNN reported on Wednesday.

{mosads}Otto Warmbier was visiting the country on a trip arranged by a Chinese travel organization called Young Pioneer Tours. The 21-year-old University of Virginia student was arrested on Jan. 2 as he was about to board a plane to leave the country.

Warmbier admitted in a press conference last month to stealing a banner with a political slogan from his hotel in Pyongyang.

“I committed the crime of taking down a political slogan from the staff holding area of the Yanggakdo International Hotel,” he said tearfully while reading from a statement. “I never, never should have allowed myself to be lured by the United States administration to commit a crime in this country.”

“I wish that the United States administration never manipulate people like myself in the future to commit crimes against foreign countries. I entirely beg you, the people and government of the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], for your forgiveness. Please! I made the worst mistake of my life!”

Warmbier is not the first American in recent years to be convicted by the rogue state for “hostile acts.”

Kenneth Bae was released after two years of a 15-year sentence, while Matthew Miller was released after less than a year of his six-year sentence.